THE identity of a woman killed in a North Yorkshire house fire may not be formally established for several weeks due to the complex nature of the process.

The 54-year-old woman died in the fire at a bungalow next to North Cowton Service Station on the B1263 near the junction for East Cowton and North Cowton, between Northallerton and Darlington, on Friday.

The alarm was raised at around 2.10pm and it continued to smoulder for hours after North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue crews battled against the flames.

Due to the intensity of the blaze fire crews had to wait until Saturday to venture into the property to conduct a thorough search – when they subsequently found a body.

Today (Monday, June 1) there was still a police presence at the bungalow, with a van and car parked outside with tape surrounding the building, destroyed save for the two gable ends and a chimney breast.

The site was littered with fallen debris and timber from the roof, and a new beam support had been added to the fragile structure to allow emergency services to enter safely.

A man who lives in the area, who asked not to be named, said although he did not know the woman personally it was a big shock for residents in the neighbouring villages.

“It’s such a terrible thing to have happened,” he said.

“It’s a real shock to everyone around here, and I really feel for the owners of the garage next door, it must have been awful for them.

“The woman’s family and friends must be devastated, it’s just not something you think will happen. I will certainly be checking my smoke alarms and I hope others will too.

“It’s very scary to think you might not be able to get out in time if it happened to you. My condolences go to her family, it’s such terrible news.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews were faced with a fully developed fire which made the property structurally unsafe.

“They revisited the scene again on Saturday to undertake further work to make the site safe enough for fire crews and police officers to enter the premises and investigate the cause of the fire.

“As a result of this work the service can now confirm that a 54-year-old woman died.”

North Yorkshire Police investigators are continuing to work alongside fire investigation officers to determine the cause of the fire. Investigations are expected to continue until this afternoon. (Monday, June 1)

Police officers will remain at the scene until the investigation is completed.